As its Trees
of Strength campaign takes root across North Carolina in memory of those
who died Sept. 11 and in support of U.S. troops, the North Carolina
Cooperative Extension Service offers this tree selection and planting
advice: Selecting
treesYou'll want to buy
your tree as close as possible to the time when you'll plant it, 
late fall and early spring are the best times to plant. Start with a
healthy, vigorous tree from a reputable nursery or garden center. Look
for these characteristics:

Leaves should be of
normal size, shape and color.

The tree's shape should
be uniform, free of thin spots or broken limbs. Its foliage should
be compact and full, evenly distributed over the top two-thirds
of the tree.

The bottom one-third
of the trunk should be clear of branches, and there should be no
upright, sharp-angled branches.

If the tree is in
a container, no large roots should be growing from the drainage
holes.

When you slide the
root ball out of the container, the root ball should stay together,
yet be somewhat pliable. It shouldn't be hard or have many roots
circling the ball. Circled roots can choke or kill the plant as
it grows.

There should be small
white roots along the outside of the root ball. Don't buy the plant
if it has black roots, because they could be damaged.

Erv Evans, North Carolina's
Extension Master Gardenersm Program coordinator,
recommends buying small trees - 4 to 6 feet tall - because they are
easier to handle and more economical, plus they adjust to the shock
of being transplanted faster than larger plants.

Make sure that the tree you choose is suitable for the spot where you
plan to plant. Consider the size of the space, the amount of sunlight,
the soil conditions and the drainage.

Planting trees
Once you've selected your tree, transplant it as soon as possible. If
you have to wait, keep the plant in an area protected from cold, heat
and wind. Keep it upright, and make sure the root ball doesn't dry out.

To give your tree the best start possible, you'll need to do more than
just dig a hole and set the tree in it. "The current trend is to plant
trees in large beds. This gives the roots a larger area to grow before
they encounter native soil that could be compacted and poorly aerated,"
Evans says. "If your soil is particularly compacted, you'll need to
till to eliminate the hard pan."

In the planting bed, incorporate about three inches of pine bark mulch,
compost or other aged organic matter into the top 12 inches of soil.
The planting hole within the bed should be three times as wide as the
root ball, with the sides sloping toward the bottom.

If your plant came in a container, plant it exactly as deep as it was
planted in the container. Your hole shouldn't be any deeper than the
root ball. If you dig too deep, be sure to firm the bottom of the hole
to reduce the chance of settling. Use the sides of a shovel to make
the sides of the hole rough and irregular.

Water the tree thoroughly before transplanting. Turn the plant upside
down and give the top edge of the container a sharp rap. Catch the root
ball in your hands as it slips from the container. Always pick the plant
up by the root ball - never by the trunk.

If the plants have become overgrown in the container and the root mass
is growing in a tight, compact circle, loosen the roots and spread them
by hand. You can cut the outer roots with a sharp knife by making vertical
cuts about 2 inches into the root ball on two to four sides.

Use the soil that you removed from your planting bed to refill the hole.
When the hole is one-third full, firm the soil around the root ball,
but don't use too much force. Loosen and break up any clods of soil.
Make sure the tree is still standing straight. Keep the root ball level
with the soil surface, and don't cover it with additional soil.

Water the plant thoroughly. Apply a three-inch layer of mulch over the
bed, but avoid piling the mulch against the trunk.

You also can get information - including information about the best
types of trees for your region - from your county Cooperative Extension
center. Call Teletip and follow the instructions to hear a listing of
county Extension center phone numbers. Or you can look the number up
in the county government listings of your phone book or on the Web at
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/counties/.

Cooperative Extension also offers an extensive Web site on landscape
plants. From the home page - www.ncstate-plants.net
- select the "Plant Fact Sheets" link; then select "Current Plant Fact
Sheets".

Compiled by: Erv Evans
Web Design by: Mark Dearmon

Trees of Strength is a registered service mark of NC State University.